Daily Meditations from John N N Ng'ang'a: Week of 3rd-9th Jan 2011...discipling new believers to rely on grace is an important ministry
Days 1
Tit 2:v11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
Grace -is always the great key word in salvation..we are saved by grace through faith in the finished work of the cross. Nothing we can do would make us deserve salvation .This grace is available to all men but only those who accept it will benefit from it….. All men sounds the universal, evangelistic note so prominent in the Pastoral letters. We should therefore witness to all without partiality…thus going to the whole world with the gospel.
This grace appeared in Jesus Christ (2 Tim 1:10). All God's promises and saving work from the beginning of the race have revealed his grace; all his blessings and gifts have been designed to lead men to repentance (Rom 2:4).
The question is….are we with thankful and appreciate that we enjoy Gods riches only because of grace rather than any of our works? If so why do we at times become reluctant to repent when the holy spirit convicts us of sin? Why do we regard some men as unsavableand do not witness to them when the grace is for all men?
Day 2
12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age
The grace of God…. Is teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
The temptation is to regard grace as cheap grace and not remember it cost Jesus his life as he died for us on the cross. No wonder Paul says that when we sin after we know Jesus, it is like we are taking him through the painful cross experience a second time. Is this how serious your take your sins?
Thus
Grace saves, but also teaches and trains us in sober and godly living.
• Denying. The same strong decisive rejection that refuses grace -Titus 1:16).
• Soberly, righteously, and godly. These three words skillfully reiterate the theme of all the Pastorals.
• Present world. Used once in each of the Pastorals (see 1 Tim 6:17; 2 Tim 4:10). These words show the basic orientation of Paul's thought-life consists of this world, as well as the world to come
Once we are born again we hate sin and are given spiritual power to say no to temptations. If are we still walking in sin after we claim we are born again , it may be the proof that we actually are not born again . Just like a living person cannot allow you to cut him without protest, sin causes us spiritual pain and hence we cannot walk in it comfortably if we are truly alive in Christ.
We therefore must be disciplined disciples who walk in the spriit and not in the flesh to fulfill fleshly desires
Day 3
Titus 2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
We shall enjoy grace as we wait for the second coming of Jesus. Paul expresses the rest of the thought by the great event of the world to come: the coming of Christ. Any Christian who is not living an expectant life may be so earthly he is of no heavenly good
The world is always fighting us and hence we keep hoping for Christ coming to rescue us from this fight. Sometimes we live like this world is our home. No wonder we compromise because we want to own a piece of the earth like this world is home. If you are in a fight and the rescue party is near, it gives you hope ..the blessed hope .
is that how you view Christ’s coming? Or would you rather be at home on earth?.
Many sins that tempt us only do so because of our earthly mindedness.
Day 4
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
To Redeem is to Ransom or deliver by payment of a price (used in Luke 24:21; 1 Peter 1:18; and here). Purchase is stressed in the atonement (cf. Gal 3:13; Rev 5:9).
Deliverance from guilt and condemnation is not foremost here, but rather deliverance from ungodly walk. Thus the peculiar mark of God's people appears-their zeal for good works. . This and the word translated "peculiar" in 1 Peter 2:9 both imply a possession or purchase. Good works are the fruit of the Spirit, the seal of God's ownership.
But heaven is our home only because of his death. He is the one Who gave himself for us. The atonement has both the particular reference to the elect and the universal reference to all (see note on 1 Tim 2:6).
Do we see life as non Christian as so bad that it needed us to be rescued or redeemed?
Sometimes we live such similar lives to the world we cannot tell the difference between us and them
Here paul says that we were redeemed from wickedness? We could not help but sin until Christ rescued us when we got born again
Day 5
Titus 2:15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you
Paul through this letter is teaching Titus how to disciple new believers. They need to learn that grace of God is the basis of good works, and it is essential for the minister continually to proclaim this grace, exhorting and reproving, with the authority of God's Word. But let not our ministry be such as would give men reason to despise us.
A good teacher needs to establish his authority.i f you are not sure of the content you are unlikely to influence change in others.
But teaching also involves encouragement where you seek to persuade the studnts about the importance of the content to them.
But it also involves rebuking… coming clear that the disciples risk loss if they do not take the message seriously .. it is carrot and stake to bring the change that is required
That is why we must give the whole gospel… both the promises and the condations/ consequences.
Day 6
Titus 3
3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,.
Ministers are people's remembrancers of their duty.
We should not complain that we have taught subject before. Paul Says that repeating same message is not irksome. Learning is improved by repetition.
As we are remembrancers for the people to God in prayers (Isa 62:6), so are WE from God to them in preaching: I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance, 2 Peter 1:12.
Forgetfulness of duty is a common frailty;
There is need therefore of reminding and quickening them thereto. You have the duties themselves, and the reasons of them.
Some of teaching to remind them are on obeying authority. Lack of respect for authority is a sign of one who is not subject to god.
This does not mean we do not question wrong orders but we need to obey any legitimate order .
Day 7
Titus 3
2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
We should help those we are descipling to have good speech.
The tongue is a fire, as James says ,that can burn a whole village. If Christ is lord in our life then he will control what we say. Our speech will bless rather than curse.
But good speech is only possible if we are considerate of others. Do you think of other’s welfare or are you selfish?
If considerate you will ask how what you do and say blesses others? How does it show you as a representative of God before men?
But pride will prevent you from being considerate? You need humility in order to have this peaceble attitude.
A good disciple will be easy to live with because God is in control of his life